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Preston Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a Barksdale organization drug dealer who has slowly risen through the ranks over the show's run. Biography Preston "Bodie" Broadus was raised by his grandmother after his mother fell into addiction and homelessness. She later died when he was a young child. He grew up the hard way in Baltimore in an economy that would not support him, and was still a teenager when he began working with the Barksdales. He once briefly enrolled in Baltimore City Community College, but dropped out to return to his career on the street corners of Westside Baltimore. Season one Bodie, age 16, worked under D'Angelo Barksdale in the low rise projects called "The Pit", with his friends Poot Carr and Wallace. He chafed under D'Angelo's soft style of leadership and often challenged his authority. When the pit's stash was robbed, he made a positive impression on Stringer Bell by recalling the name of the stick-up artist, Omar Little, and describing the van that Omar and his crew used. Bodie often displayed a quick, violent temper; he instigated the severe beating of drug addict Johnny Weeks along with Poot and Wallace, and later punched Detective Mahone while being searched during a large bust in the low-rises. Bodie received a beating for his assault from Detectives Greggs, Carver and other policemen. He then found himself in a juvenile detention facility after regaining consciousness from the brutal police beating. Bodie then drifted out of the facility while wielding a mop without guards taking notice of his escape and, after an hitchhiking attempt failed, he stole a car and drove back to Baltimore. He became a personal target of Herc and Carver. Later that night, the two detectives found him in The Pit and Bodie desperately attempted to evade them but fails and is arrested and is later interrogated by Carver as Herc awaits outside. During the interrogation, Bodie taunts Carver, prompting him to attack the young dealer. Herc tries to stop the fight, but when Bodie insults Carver again, Herc and Carver brutally beat him. While waiting for prisoner transfer, the two detectives let Bodie play against one of them over a game of pool, which they then softened him. The Barksdale organization's lawyer, Maurice Levy, manages to convince the judge to release Bodie. Herc and Carver, unaware of Bodie's acquittal, thought he has escaped again as they observed the low-rise projects. Later that day, the two confronted him and Herc subsequently assaults him before the two realizes that Bodie has been released from police custody. They relented and reluctantly drove Bodie back home. Bodie is seen occasionally throughout, even witnessing young Barksdale drug dealer Kevin Johnston being chased around the Pit by Herc, Carver, Greggs, and Sydnor. He is then seen at the Westside vs. Eastside basketball game, along with Poot as Herc and Carver arrives to inspect the identity of Avon Barksdale, who is present at the game. When Wallace, after being absent from drug dealing as he was staying with his family in rural Maryland, returns to the Pit, Bodie is delighted of his friend's sudden return and jocularly asks if Wallace had sex with "country" girls. While working in the Pit, Bodie was tasked by Stringer Bell to murder his erstwhile friend Wallace after Avon decided to eliminate anyone who might talk to the police. Though he questions his task to murder his own friend, he is willing to do this. Bodie reveals this task to Poot, the latter insists that Wallace isn't a police informant but Bodie states that because Wallace is using narcotics, he is deemed unreliable and must be killed anyway. The three friends spend the day together and having a meal at a restaurant. Upon arriving at the apartment at nighttime, Bodie reveals his intentions as Wallace is cornered. Wallace tearfully begs for mercy but Bodie, who wants Wallace to die like a man, tells him that he brought the penalty on himself. Bodie was not quite ready to murder a friend; it took urging from Poot to push him into going through with the crime but after this, still struggled to pull the trigger and Poot took the gun to finish Wallace off. The next time, Bodie secures the Pit and drives away rival drug dealers with aluminum baseball bats. Impressed by Bodie's willingness to do the murder and improvement of dealing, Stringer promoted him to work in the towers as Poot took control of The Pit due to D'Angelo's arrest. Season two Stringer began entrusting Bodie with more difficult tasks, such as picking up the main supply in Philadelphia, and assigned him one of the prized Franklin Terrace Towers to run. Poot was assigned to run The Pit and he reported to Bodie. They faced problems with poor quality product because the Barksdales' suppliers severed ties thanks to Avon's arrest. Bodie came up with considered suggestions to work around the problem at Stringer's meetings. When an independent crew of dealers moved in on the Barksdales' territory, Bodie's violent outburst led the other crew to start a gunfight which resulted in the accidental death of a child. After failing to adequately dispose of the guns, Bodie was picked up and interrogated by detectives Ed Norris and Ray Cole in connection with the crime. They attempted to bluff a confession out of him, but he saw through their trick and was released. Stringer was unhappy with him, and ordered him to welcome "Proposition" Joe Stewart's dealers to the towers, because Joe was providing high-quality product. He and the other West Siders started friendly competition to entice buyers away from Joe's nephew, Cheese. Bodie was pleased when Brother Mouzone drove away the East Side dealers. Season three A city-wide intiative called for the Franklin Towers to be demolished and Avon was released from prison. Western District Major Colvin tried to deal with the spread of the drug problem by offering "drug zones" where dealers and users would go unpunished. Bodie work such zone nicknamed "Hamsterdam" bringing him back into contact with Herc and Carver, now working in the Western District. On one occasion, Detectives McNulty and Greggs tried to arrest Bodie for possession. He protested that he was complying with Colvin's directive, and was not arrested. He also helped Dennis "Cutty" Wise to contact Avon Barksdale on several occasions. The Barksdale organization became embroiled in a turf war with Marlo Stanfield's crew. Although Bodie's crew were badly beaten, Bodie himself escaped. The escalating murder rate brought further police attention. Avon was sent back to prison, Stringer was murdered and the gang were scattered. Hamsterdam was raided by the police, but Bodie avoided imprisonment by citing the aforementioned traffic stop as "entrapment" (although he called it "contraptment"). Season four Bodie was forced into a less-desirable corner, because Marlo controlled all the prime territory. He continued to have dealings with Sergeant Carver and Officer Jimmy McNulty, since his operation fell in their jurisdiction. His crew included Curtis "Lex" Anderson (his second in command), Little Kevin, and Reesy; he also employed Namond Brice as a runner out of respect for his father's reputation, despite Namond's poor attitude. He tried to tempt Michael Lee, a far more effective runner, to take a permanent position at his corner, but Michael declined. Bodie was supplied quality product by ex-Barksdale enforcer Slim Charles, now working on behalf of Proposition Joe, which allowed him to build his corner into a busy drug market. Marlo offered Bodie an ultimatum - let Marlo's operation take over the corner or stay but work Marlo's package. At first, Bodie was determined not to back down, but he ultimately began selling drugs provided by Marlo, after realizing that nobody would help him. In a fit of romantic jealousy, Lex murdered his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend: a Stanfield dealer known as Fruit. In retribution, Stanfield enforcers Chris and Snoop executed Lex, in an ambush he was lured into by his co-worker Little Kevin — who in turn was executed by the pair days later to prevent him talking to the police about the murder of Lex. Bodie felt that Marlo was violating the rules of the drug trade, as he was unaware of Little Kevin's betrayal of Lex. After Little Kevin's body was discovered, a grief-stricken Bodie was arrested for kicking in the windows of a patrol car in anger and was released on the recommendation of McNulty. Outside of the police station, Bodie was seen getting into McNulty's car by Monk, one of Marlo's lieutenants. McNulty drove Bodie to Pimlico, where the two shared a meal and discussed Marlo's harmful influence on the corners. Resentful of Marlo's lack of loyalty towards his corner crews, Bodie told McNulty that he would be willing to inform on Marlo. Later that night, while Bodie was posted at his corner, Chris and Snoop launched an ambush. Despite Poot urging Bodie to run, Bodie chooses to stay and go down fighting for his corner and urging Poot himself to run off. During a brief shootout in which Bodie nearly killed both Snoop and Chris Partlow, O-Dog, a new member of Marlo's gang, approached Bodie from behind and shot him twice in the head, killing him. Production Appearances Origins The character is named Reception Critical response and analysis Salon described Bodie's evolution on the show as watching him grow up. References Category:Deceased Category:Barksdale organization Category:Drug dealers Category:Recurring Characters Category:Characters Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Stanfield Organization